From Love to Temperance
by Thnx4theGum
Summary: A collection of oneshots based on the Fruits of the Spirit. B/B as always.
1. Love

**Welcome to a new collection of oneshots. These- as you may have guessed- are based on the 9 "Fruits of the Spirit": Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance. The first two are linked together. Hope you enjoy!**

**Gum :)**

"_How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?" – Albert Einstein_

Love

Once upon a time, there was a couple in love.

Their attraction to each other was small at first and camouflaged by arguments over mostly trivial matters. Before long, though, he had fallen head-over-heels for her and had decided that a life without her by his side was not one worth living. He wined and dined and dance and romanced her until she fell fully under his spell.

Their courtship was far from typical, but it suited them and in what seemed like no time at all, they found themselves facing each other across an altar. She made vows and took him to be her lawfully wedded husband. He kissed his bride with such ardor they made the priest blush.

Life as they lived it- they knew- would never truly be normal given the nature of their professions; but they had each other, they had their love, and through that rose-colored lens they felt that nothing could stop them from living happily ever after.


	2. Joy

**This is Part 2 to "Love", so if you _thought_ you knew who the couple in "Love" was, read this one to find out who they really are...**

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"_The central struggle of parenthood is to let our hopes for our children outweigh our fears." – Ellen Goodman_

Joy

As often happens in life, love came first and led to marriage, which inevitably sparked a debate as to when or if children should be added to their happy little family. He- ever the romantic- felt that nothing could be better and dreamed about the games they would play, the stories he would pass on, and the songs the would sing horribly off-tune together. She- ever the realist- saw only sleepless nights, increased expenditures, and awkward conversations when the kids got old enough to ask what Mom and Dad did for a living.

In the end it was- he said God, she said Fate- who ended the debate for them and nine months later they had a handsome baby boy to show for it. He cost them a mini fortune in diapers and brought a whole new meaning to the term "insomniac" but neither one of them could imagine life without him.

Years passed and the boy grew and once again they found themselves on the cusp of parenthood. The nine months came and went in a whirlwind of eager anticipation. This time, they were excited to welcome a new life into the family with only the barest hint of trepidation as to what awaited them as parents of two instead of one.

"So," the new mother asked, her face flushed from the labor, "What should we name her?"

Max looked at his wife, then peered into the bundle of pink resting peacefully in his arms and spoke a single word.

"Joy."


	3. Peace

"_Let him who desires peace prepare for war." Flavius Vegetius Renatus, __De Rei Militari_

Peace

For all intents and purposes, becoming the Brennans was one of the best things that could've happened to Max and Ruth. It gave Kyle and Joy- as Russ and Tempe- the chance to do everything from Little League to 4H, at the same time protecting them from the Keenans' past.

Ruth enjoyed working as a bookkeeper while the kids were in school and being there for them when they got home. She chuckled as she watched bits of Max and herself come out in their children and did her best to guide Tempe; whose genius-level IQ often left the young girl feeling socially adrift. It was Ruth who petitioned the school not to push her daughter ahead several grades, but rather allow her to remain with kids her own age while Max and Ruth provided the extra enrichment she needed at home.

For his part, Max- with teaching credentials that were every bit as phony as the rest of his identity- discovered he had a gift for it, and found that he got just as much of a thrill from it as he had from his con-man days. After dealing with McVicker and his crowd, staring down a room full of snot-nosed teenagers who didn't want to be in his science classes was nothing.

Slowly but surely, Max and Ruth Keenan faded into the past as Matthew and Christine Brennan emerged in their place.

But soap bubbles eventually burst and illusions fade as quickly as they are contrived. All it took was one last-minute Christmas trip to the mall for the tranquility that had surrounded them for so long to evaporate; and as the couple fled, leaving their children behind for the time being, Max wondered what price would be exacted to put everything back together again.

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	4. Longsuffering

"_A happy childhood has spoiled many a promising life." Robertson Davies, __What's Bred in the Bone_(no kidding, that's the title, I nearly did an Angela-like squeal with excitement)

Longsuffering

From the time she entered the foster care system, Temperance Brennan's primary thought was when she could be free of it. At first, she was convinced that her parents would come back to claim her. They would explain what had happened on that fateful winter afternoon, vow that it would never happen again, and take her back home so that they could unwrap the presents she had so diligently preserved.

As the days melted into weeks and weeks, months, however, her hopes began to shift. If her parents could not liberate her for whatever unexplained reason, surely Russ would. He would see the error of his ways, spirit her away, and take care of her until she was old enough to go of to college on her own. Late at night, she would strain to listen for his call of "Marco" but all that filled her ears was an echoing silence.

Over time, she began to accept that she had been abandoned by both parents and sibling and she would no be liberated prematurely by anyone. Mentally, she began a countdown to emancipation that served as a tenuous tether to her hope when circumstances grew beyond what she could bear.

More and more she buried herself in her studies, trading whimsical childhood dreams for rational goals that would give her the means to be successful as an adult. Her intellect would not fail her as the people in her life had, and she learned to tuck her emotions as far away from the surface as possible so as to avoid further injury.

Finally, the day came when her internal countdown reached zero and she turned eighteen. The wait was over and it was time to get on with the rest of her life.


	5. Gentleness

"_Nothing is so strong as __gentleness__, nothing so gentle as real strength__." St. Francis de Sales_

Gentleness

She would never forget the first time she held a human bone to inspect it. It was a pelvic bone and the professor had charged each pupil to glean as much information about the bone's owner as they could during the class period. Previous lectures had centered around how to do so and the professor had decided it was time to apply the knowledge practically.

For a half an hour, Temperance inspected the bone, turning it gently in her hands and using her fingers to feel for anomalies. Satisfied that she had uncovered as much as she could with the naked eye, she moved to one of the magnifiers and began a more thorough inspection. She spent the last half hour of the period peering at the surface of the bone in an effort to unlock its secrets. Confident that her findings had been comprehensive, she turned in her notes at the end of class and went back to her dorm room happy.

When the class convened several days later, their notes were returned to them, along with a master list of all of the information they should have obtained during the exercise, as well as a photograph of the bone's original owner. Temperance was stunned to find that she had only identified sixty percent of the master list's contents; which was far above most of her colleagues, but far below what she expected of herself.

As the professor spoke, she took in every word. He emphasized that each bone belonged to a human being and that their remains deserved the utmost respect. In awe, she watched as he demonstrated how to gently inspect a bone in order to get the most out of it as possible. It was a time-consuming and tedious process at times, he told them, but when read correctly, a skeleton could tell the story of a person's life.

The next time she inspected a bone it took her twice as long to finish, but her list matched the professor's one hundred percent.


	6. Goodness

"_I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman." Anais Nin_

Goodness

"So," Angela said, making herself at home in Brennan's office, "Where did you and Agent Hotstuff end up when you walked off into the sunset yesterday?"

Brennan quirked her eyebrow and gave her friend a quizzical look.

"After Cleo's funeral," Angela clarified, "I saw the two of you walk off. Where'd you go?"

"If you are implying that anything sexual occurred between us, I can assure you that was not the case," Brennan frowned.

"Of course it wasn't," Angela smirked.

"Nor can I ever see myself wishing it to become such," Brennan asserted.

"No, never," there was a teasing glint in the artist's eyes.

"He is arrogant, stubborn, and has the emotional maturity of an eight year-old," Brennan went on.

"An obvious contrast to your humble and compliant personality," Angela countered.

Brennan looked up at her friend for the first time, "Was that sarcasm?"

"Yes, Sweetie," Angela grinned, "Good catch."

"I am more mature than Booth," Brennan insisted.

"Bren, you're too mature," there was a hint of sadness amidst the light critique, "My ninety year-old Nana has more fun than you!"

"I can have fun," the forensic anthropologist protested.

"Wallowing in death isn't fun- well, not normal people fun," Angela shook her head, "Isn't there anything outside of science that relaxes you?"

Brennan thought for a long moment, "I enjoy writing."

"Doesn't count; you get paid for that too," Angela paused and met her friend's eye, "Look, I'm not saying it's a bad thing to love your job- because you're great at it- just don't forget that you're allowed to step away from it from time to time without feeling guilty. And don't get too down on Booth for trying to lighten things up."

Brennan nodded, but immediately said, "This entire argument is moot, as I doubt I will be interacting with Booth on a regular basis."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Angela said, "He seemed to really appreciate your help- outside of the shooting thing, of course."

"I have a job here already," Brennan waved her arm around her office, "One which requires a significant portion of my time."

"Don't do it, Brennan," gone was the levity from Angela's voice, "Don't push this opportunity away just because you're intimidated by Booth."

"Booth does _not_ intimidate me," Brennan scoffed.

"Of course he does, Sweetie," Angela said easily, "He accepts your expertise and welcomes your opinion, but he also challenges you, puts you in your place when you need it, and isn't intimidated when you try and push him away. Not to mention the fact that he is all _man_."

"I don't know what that means," Brennan shook her head, "Hodgins and Zack are men."

Angela tried and failed to contain her snort, "Zack is a boy and Hodgins- well, Hodgins is a man, but of a totally different variety from Booth. Booth's the kind of guy who makes women melt and men cower. This partnership could be very good for you- if you let it."

Brennan hesitated. The newly forged partnership was still in its infancy and could easily be severed without much injury on either side. Certainly the idea of having full participation in the FBI-assigned cases appealed to her; but she had had men double-cross her before and she wasn't altogether sure that she could trust this one any more than the rest; not to mention the fact that their personalities seemed completely contradictory of each other.

Angela took her leave with one last reminder that Booth was one of the "good guys" and Brennan should give him a chance. Upon further contemplation, Brennan decided that she would, as requested, allow Booth the opportunity to prove himself worthy of working with her. Though she still highly doubted that anything romantic would ever come of their relationship.


	7. Faithfulness

"_Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thought no measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away." George Eliot_

Faithfulness

She would be the first to admit that living people were not her forte. Dead ones she could understand and interpret for others, but not so the living with their myriad forms of non-verbal communication which eluded her no matter how much effort she put forth. Even the kinesiology courses she had taken in college- while they had been helpful in increasing her knowledge of the mechanics of the human body- had done little for her in the area of reading the body's subtle nuances.

As a result of this shortcoming, people were often able to conceal their true natures from her; thus far, her track record for choosing the people she allowed to get close to her was abysmal. Twice she had been abandoned by her father and her brother. She had given Michael a second chance too, only to be used and tossed aside, then there had been Peter, then David, and the list went on. Sully, she had been assured, had been one of the "good guys" and she had genuinely liked him, but in the end he'd tried to force her into something she wasn't ready for, and had literally sailed off into the sunset without her.

The lone exception- so far- to this lapse in judgment was the man who now stood on the opposite side of an altar from her, with a minister and a church full of people looking expectantly at them. He looked very handsome in his tuxedo and for one brief moment she wondered what it would be like to be attached to him in a romantic sense.

"Earth to Bones," the moment shattered and she blinked, readjusting her focus, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied, knowing that he would not be fooled, but that he wouldn't press her, either.

She watched him turn, heard him make some sort of announcement that must have been humorous as a wave of laughter rippled through the crowd, then she took the elbow that he proffered and they walked up the aisle and out of the church.

There were no signs indicating where Hodgins and Angela had gone, though Hodgins' classic sports car was missing and Angela's car was still in the parking lot, suggesting that they had driven off together. Caroline joined the four of them who remained, informing them of Angela's previous marriage, which had brought the ceremony today to a grinding halt. The prosecutor shrugged at Zack's inquiry as to when the couple would return, then headed off in the direction of the reception hall muttering something about a mint julep.

Cam produced a cigarette from her clutch purse, offering to give Zack a ride home, and the two of them took their leave.

"Where do you want to go, Bones?" Booth asked.

She shrugged.

"The reception?" he asked.

She shook her head and almost instantly his hand was on her lower back, guiding her toward his SUV. Still trying to process everything that had occurred, she allowed him to help her up into the vehicle, slipping off her high heels as soon as she was seated. He drove them to Wong Fu's and signaled that she wait for him in the car. Several minutes later he emerged, his arms laden with food and a few minutes after that they had pulled into a parking space near the Washington Mall.

Armed with food and the blanket Booth kept in the trunk for stakeouts, they claimed an empty patch of grass and sat down to the impromptu picnic.

"Mmm," Booth groaned at the first bite, "Guarantee you this is _way_ better than reception food."

"You would've eaten it," she pointed out before successfully navigating another bite of food into her mouth and away from her dress.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't have been this good," he shook his head, "Reception food's just a step up from cafeteria food no matter how much you pay for it."

This was generally true in her experience so she nodded and they worked through the food in companionable silence. When he had finished eating he produced a folded letter and explained Zack's decision to go to Iraq. Once again, silence enveloped them as she attempted to come to grip with yet another close friend's departure.

"Dance with me," Booth broke the silence, raising her to her feet as music from a nearby stereo floated past them.

She frowned at the absurdity of it.

"You would've danced with me today anyway," Booth smiled as he took her hands and they began swaying to the music, "So just think of this as an anthropologic inevitability."

Several retorts sprung to her mind but died on her lips as he drew her closer, imbuing her with his strength. More couples joined them as the music played on, until rather a large group had assembled around them. Ensconced in the relative anonymity of the crowd, she felt her defenses relax, so much so that when Booth asked for the second time that day how she was doing, she found herself answering him much more honestly than she normally would have.

Words poured forth from her like a fountain whether she wanted them to or not and Booth listened. When she ran out of words, he quietly assured her that Zack would not die in Iraq, that Angela and Hodgins would be back at work Monday morning, and that while her father had run out on her twice the fact that he had turned himself in was at least a step in the right direction. At some point he led her away from the dance and they collected their things and made their way back to the SUV.

It was much later that night before Booth left her alone in her apartment and he left only with her solemn promise that she would call if she needed anything. As the door closed behind him, leaving her cursing herself for showing so much vulnerability, she wondered which was harder: dealing with the fallout from those who had left her, or having to face the truth about her growing connection to the man who never would.


	8. Meekness

"_Even the very wise cannot see all ends." – Gandalf ala J.R.R. Tolkien, __The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring_

Meekness

For the first time in a long time, Dr. Temperance Brennan felt adrift.

_"Do you think I'm a loser?"_ his words had reverberated in her mind as they had driven in stony silence back to the Jeffersonian.

Bickering she understood, as they had been doing that almost since the day their paths had crossed. One of them would give an opinion, the other would counter it, and on it went until they either came to some middle ground or merely agreed to disagree. Words were volleyed back and forth and while they might tease or goad each other from time to time, there was never the biting edge that had existed today.

Jared's words- much smoother than his elder brother's- had made so much sense to her at the time. After all, who would know her partner better than his own brother? So she had naively granted him the trust that she normally reserved only for Booth and had allowed herself to believe that perhaps her partner did not strive to be at the top of his hierarchy; in Booth's vernacular, that he was a loser.

The mixture of disbelief, hurt, even betrayal that had played across her partner's face when she had challenged him haunted her now as she dressed for his birthday celebration. She wasn't sure what reaction she had expected from him, but she had never intended to hurt him, and she certainly had not wanted her words to sever their friendship.

Her arm throbbed as she maneuvered it through her sleeve and back into its sling. The pain of the bullet had been nothing to the cool, professional manner that Booth had addressed her with once he was certain that she was okay. Something inside of her had ached when she watched Paul Stegman embrace his wife, knowing that, had she not trusted Jared over him, perhaps Booth would have embraced her too instead of turning away from her to check Sheriff Wilkinson's pulse. He had taken her to the hospital afterwards and driven her home, but it all lacked the empathy that she had become so accustomed to, and she had not realized how much she had come to appreciate it until it was no longer extended to her.

She sighed, remembering a time when life had not been so complicated; when she had not cared what others' opinions about her were, or if she had offended them. The purely academic life had consisted of cutthroat values that left little consideration for the feelings of others and while it had been an environment in which she had thrived quite nicely, she had to admit that it had been a lonely one as well.

Now, she thought as she seated herself on the couch to wait for Angela to pick her up and take her to Booth's party, it was incumbent on her to ameliorate the situation. Confronting Jared had been the first step and she harbored no lingering regrets over physically assaulting the younger Booth in the process. The next step would be to apologize to Booth for doubting him, as well as to assure him that she would not leap to such conclusions again in the future. Sweets had also suggested that she was the only one would could successfully convince Booth that what he was doing for Jared was not doing either one of the brothers any good; but for such a conversation to take place, the partners would need to be back on good speaking terms.

As she sat, words of apology began to form in her mind. She thought about the situation, and everything that had occurred to bring her to the conclusions that she had. It was not often that she was wrong in a situation, but she had been here and she would need to admit that, no matter what it cost her. She thought about what she knew of both anthropology and of Booth and a framework for her apology began to emerge.

Would Booth understand? Would he accept her apology? Would he forgive her and reestablish their friendship?

She hoped so because as much as a part of her still thrived on academic pursuits, another part of her had become accustomed to Booth's presence in her life- to his friendship, no matter how little she truly understood about him- and if repairing the rift between them meant that she had to admit in front of all of their friends that she had been wrong, so be it.


	9. Temperance

"_Among men and women, those in love do not always announce themselves with declarations and vows. But they are the ones who weep when you're gone. Who miss you every single night, especially when the sky is so deep and beautiful, and the ground so very cold." Alice Hoffman_

Temperance

No matter how often she was asked and who was doing the asking she always replied the same way, "I don't know."

It was not the answer that most would expect from the genius forensic anthropologist would was world-renowned not only for her work but also for the almost in-human control that she had over her emotions. It was, however, the truth, and among friends she would admit that trying to ascertain at what juncture she began to view her partner as more than a business associate or a friend was akin to calculating at what moment a wave struck the shoreline.

Booth, being the more emotional of the two, claimed love at first sight, to which she would argue he had experienced a chemical reaction that more closely resembled lust than love. She would also point out that _she_ was the one who had blackmailed _him_ into the partnership, suggesting that he was not pursuing her in a romantic manner at that point. As to her own feelings at the time, she staunchly denied that she had anything beyond a professional view of him at that time.

His defense was that he had been the one who had continually sought after her for months, despite being repeatedly rebuffed by Zack. A quirk would appear at the corner of his lips as he teased that she must've been harboring some romantic feelings for him too to base her chief protagonist's romantic interest after him. Her retort was as stinging as the glare she'd send his way, though her delivery of the denial became less forceful as the years progressed.

The truth was that they had evolved over time and in such small intervals that neither one of them fully recognized it until, as one of the characters in the famous duo that Booth had initially compared them to said, "the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with."

"To love," Angela's slurred, giddy voice broke her reverie and brought her back to the present, "And however the hell it got us here."

The straggling patrons who remained from the earlier party gave a drunken roar and knocked back their respective drinks.

"Time to pack it up, folks," the bartender announced as he reached for the phone, "Cabs'll be here in five."

She consulted the clock on the wall, not surprised to find that it was very late- or very early, depending on one's perspective. She moved over to her two friends who were teetering precariously on their stools and began helping them down.

"Not right," Angela shook her head back and forth as she leaned on Brennan, "You should at least get one drink. 's your party."

"And my wedding," she reminded the artist once again, "For which I wish to be sober."

"Temperate Temperance," Cam giggled on the other side of Brennan for about the tenth time since the pathologist had discovered the double meaning.

Angela dissolved into giggles as well as the two collapsed in the back seat of Brennan's car. She sincerely hoped that neither of her companions would feel the need to regurgitate all that they had imbibed until they were home. She breathed a sigh of relief when she successfully dropped Cam at home without incident, and another as she reached Hodgins' mansion with Angela.

"'s dark," Angela noted as Hodgins came to meet them, relieving Brennan of her burden.

"That's what happens when you stay out all night," Hodgins placated her before turning to Brennan, "Sure you don't want to crash here? Dawn'll be here soon and it's bad luck to see the groom on your wedding day."

She shook her head, arching a weary eyebrow at his superstitious notions.

"Drive safe, Dr. B," he cautioned.

"I'll see you later," she replied.

The apartment was dark upon her arrival, though she knew that even if he was in bed he would not be asleep. Still, she entered the room quietly, letting her dress pool at her feet before shedding her heels and her jewelry. It was quarter of five.

A tired groan sounded and he rolled over to greet her, gazing at her as he brushed hair back from her face.

"Do you love me?" she asked, knowing the answer, but needing to hear it from his lips before she could commit herself to going through with the day's events.

"Yeah," he knew why she was asking and there was no censure in his voice, only gentle concern, "Do you want me to prove it to you?"

"If you're not too sleepy," her tone lightened to a tease, eyes daring him.

He flipped her over in response, removing the tank top she had donned to sleep in and ogling the black bra she had left on for him to remove. His kisses shoved her neck into the pillow, raising her heart rate and she flipped him, becoming the aggressor.

"I love when you do that," he laughed.

She laughed too and the sound of their voices mingled, banishing the last of her doubts as their passion built. Ephemeral love had found her, and while tonight marked the end of her life as a single woman, today would mark the beginning of their single life shared.

**The End.**


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